Award-winning: Gerhard Schubert GmbH at the “Factory of the Year” conference

A fully booked conference, a festive awards ceremony and a factory tour in Crailsheim on 21 and 22 March concluded the “Factory of the Year 2018” competition. Gerhard Schubert GmbH was honoured with the overall win by the jurors the very first time it participated in the competition. Gerhard and Ralf Schubert accepted the artistically designed award and highlighted in their presentation how well innovation and standardisation fit together.

Ludwigsburg, the former royal residence just outside Stuttgart, recently hosted an event that has a special significance for manufacturing companies: the conference and gala for the “Factory of the Year 2018” competition. Gerhard and Ralf Schubert, Managing Directors and Shareholders of Gerhard Schubert GmbH, were delighted on behalf of the entire company to receive the award presented to them by last year's winner Ilkay Ormandy, Plant Manager at P&G Crailsheim. In her laudatory speech, she underscored the passion required to build a business, develop innovative and compelling products, and ultimately succeed. “You can feel this passion when you walk through the company and meet the people working there. Nothing has changed since Gerhard Schubert’s early career!”

The Schubert team with company founder Gerhard Schubert (1st row, 2nd from left) accepted the “Factory of the Year” award during the festive gala. Image: Süddeutscher Verlag Events

From zero to the winner’s podium

Gerhard Schubert GmbH participated for the very first time and achieved the overall win for the Crailsheim plant. “At this year’s competition, laureates such as Gerhard Schubert [...] showed that they are able to bring their production to a level of excellence,” said Dr Marc Lakner, Partner and Managing Director at A.T. Kearney, highlighting the performance of the award-winning companies. The eight jurors acknowledged Schubert’s ability to innovate, its quality management throughout the entire value chain and the appreciation it shows to its employees.

Ralf Schubert, Managing Director and Shareholder of Gerhard Schubert GmbH, gave the 220 conference participants insight into Schubert’s DNA and the interplay between innovation and standardisation.

A clear strategy drives digitalisation forward

Under the title “Working on the future together, to be successful in the present”, Ralf Schubert gave the 220 conference participants insight into Schubert’s DNA, i.e. its focus on striving for perfection and sustainable solutions as well as the interaction of innovation and standardisation. The key building blocks to achieve this are the eight standard components, from which highly flexible solutions to individual customer requirements are created. These include three different robots as well as the Transmodul transport system and image processing systems developed in house. Processes in all departments and areas are defined and continuously improved with the GRIPS process management system. In order to play a pioneering role in all important key technologies, Gerhard Schubert GmbH relies on a clear digitalisation strategy.

On the second day of the conference, 100 participants took advantage of the opportunity to take a close look at the “Factory of the Year 2018”.

In Crailsheim, 900 employees work on the many packaging machine solutions in batch sizes of 1.

From now on, the “Factory of the Year” trophy will remind employees and visitors of the coveted award.